


Good night, until tomorrow

by SailorStarDust1



Series: True Desire Made Clear [7]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Post Advent Children, Reminiscence of Final Fantasy VII, Romance, Slice of Life, Unconventional Families, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-17 08:55:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20618369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorStarDust1/pseuds/SailorStarDust1
Summary: The bar closed and deliveries declined. Instead, a peaceful day out. Family bonding.(Conclusion to myTrue Desire Made ClearCloTi Series—thank you for reading❤️)





	Good night, until tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, after a few long months, _finally_ my CloTi fanfic Series is complete! I definitely plan on writing more VII and CloTi fic, but I think for the foreseeable future I'll be focusing on **Fickle Fate** and some Remake-universe fics. Hope you'll enjoy them.
> 
> Thanks so much for all your support with this Series, especially my opening multi-chapter piece!

Blearily opening his eyes, that familiar trace of Mako slight these days, Cloud slowly blinked. Early morning sunlight filtering through the curtains, the alarm hadn’t loudly blared in his ear at its set 6:00 AM buzz.

Glancing to the cheerfully bright red digits inches away from his face on the nightstand, Cloud realized why. 

5:55 AM.

Groaning loudly, immediately Cloud’s face found its way into soft pillows, front of his blond locks mussed up.

“Mmh...” Familiar warmth, and a scent of sometimes honey, sometimes vanilla (this morning, it was honey), filled his still-tired senses. She must’ve washed her hair last night before he returned from work, utterly exhausted after deliveries. Long having put the kids to bed, she didn’t need to wait for him, those nights long past of falling asleep near the bar, any longer. That quiet confidence to their relationship, little by little, had been restored. Tifa’s soft hands wrapped around Cloud’s bicep; an embrace. Seemed like she moisturized too, considering her lack of usual callouses, that softness to her skin.

Melting into her touch, he groggily offered a genuine, “Good morning.”

“Morning, Cloud.”, her yawning reply. Blinking away the sleep from her eyes, a tired smile. She shifted her legs a little, inching closer so their foreheads touched. 

Momentarily, they stayed. Gazing into each other’s eyes, soft breath the only thing filling the room. Peace was still surreal, but welcome. Especially that peace between them. Cloud knew, ever since the sick-to-his-stomach realization of his secret, fatal, illness, that he’d have _ a lot _ of making up to do, had a miraculous recovery occurred. His leaving for several weeks, Tifa and the rest of his family frustrated by Cloud’s merely seeing through them... 

Today was certainly a start. Maybe finally, now, life would be alright.

“Hey. You awake enough to......?”

She yawned at his lingering question, brain still foggy. “I’m glad you’re finally home.” Catching his meaning, finally, she shook her head with a giggle. Remembering.

There’d been a private lecture in their room, that night of the victory party, Barret and the others boisterously drunk in the bar. How Marlene and Denzel were sound asleep in their room with that racket down below was the _ true _mystery. “You know, Cloud—” Her words almost immediately interrupted with a kiss. Flustered by Cloud’s rough hands on her lithe, toned, shoulders and that familiar fire of desire having already returned to his eyes. Amused, she teasingly offered: “Jeez! You’re not getting out of it so easily~”

Despite that, her words gave away to his almost hesitant kisses, his weeks away due to fatal illness and yet-unhealed grief and deep-seated depression. The barmaid, her skirt falling somewhere on the floorboards of her room, moaned in his arms, offering in half-annoyance, “I’m _ not _ finished lecturing you...” “I get it already.”; he muttered, falling atop her on _ their _bed. His lips claiming Tifa’s, fiercely this time.

Presently, Tifa shook her head at the memories. He’d always been able to make her melt so easily with a simple touch, a soft kiss. “So...we’re really doing this? I mean, today?”

“Yep.” He was slowly smiling back in response to her question. He promised her just yesterday over the phone, didn’t he? “We _ should _make a habit of spending more time together. The four of us, I mean.”

Leaning forward, Tifa’s lips pressed against Cloud’s forehead. He blinked, slightly foggy brain on alert due to such close, sweet, proximity. “What was that for?”

“No reason.” Doing her best to _ not _ grin like an idiot, that he was _ here_, that they were now—_finally_—okay, proved impossible. Tifa’s dopey smile was infectious, spreading to Cloud’s own lips.

Her pure internalized joy bursting at the seams tittering out with laughter. “Should I go wake up the kids?”

“Yeah. I’ll shower then make us breakfast.”

“Cool.” Brushing some hair away from her face, Tifa was practically beaming.

* * *

Despite the morning’s casual dress, Cloud and Tifa still wore their remembrance ribbons. _ She _would never be so easily forgotten.

Bumps along the way...that was just _ life_, wasn’t it? Refusing therapy as he became increasingly sick, his doctor leaving concerned messages which a saddened Tifa didn’t know how to explain (one early morning, Cloud was simply...gone. Not with his usual delivery routes or packages).

But maybe...maybe that had been normal for Cloud, at least. Things were okay again, he’d since promptly returned to his appointments to make up for lost time.

Marlene already finished her bacon and eggs, smiling at the excited dog begging by her feet. 

“Shake, Cloud Jr. Good boy!” She tossed him the scraps of bacon earlier set aside for him.

Denzel rolled his eyes, adult-like in his calmly sipping a second cup of tea. “You’re gonna get that dog fat if you keep feeding him so much.”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“I _ am _ not!” Marlene was certainly thankful the boy akin to a big brother was finally healthy again, but she hadn’t expected him to be such a, well, pain in the butt. Certainly he didn’t mean to intentionally ruffle feathers with his former rich boy status, but it couldn’t help rub Marlene the wrong way, not having much in her formative years growing up. But at least, there was family.

Their mildly annoyed father-figure stepped in, rolling his eyes. “Hey, you two? Settle down.” Plain cup of coffee in hand, Cloud returned to watching the day’s weather forecast on their small kitchen CRT.

Tifa hid her smirk at the children’s embarrassed mumblings of “Sorry, Cloud.”. Her fiancé’s straightforward approach to discipline, the kids always respecting Cloud, certainly had its merits. She was busily preparing and packing lunches for the picnic. A thermos of iced tea, several ham and cheese sandwiches, some potato chips, apples, and four large slices of carrot cake. 

Perfect.

Good weather for the upcoming week was certainly a blessing. Sunny days ahead were something to look forward to.

“You guys already get your weekend homework done?”

“I don’t see why we have to go to school. The education system here kinda sucks compared to the Upper Plate.”

Cloud blinked. “Where’d you learn big words like that?”

Marlene laughed in a sing-song voice, adding, “Denzel like Moogle Girl~! They worked on their homework yesterday, outside the bar.”

The chestnut haired boy simply grew bright red, unable to deny it. “She _ has _a name, jeez!”

“Uhh...” Cloud scratched his head at their mild bickering, pulling up a chair next to them. “Actually, I wanted to ask you, Denzel. There might be certain classes you’d have to help explain to Marlene if Barret or Tifa aren’t around. Think you could handle it?”

Gathering dirty plates to load up the dishwasher, the young boy nodded, eyebrow raised. “Sure, but why can’t you, Cloud?”

“I left my school early to apply for Soldier and then...well, some other stuff happened.”

“Oh.”

“...When we told you two about the Nibelheim incident, you guys were worried enough, right?”

Cloud’s mouth formed into a tight line.

They didn’t need to know the sick details of his teenage years, himself and Zack left to rot in those basement laboratories for 5 grueling years. Maybe someday, when they were older, he’d explain everything to them. 

* * *

“Hey, Cloud?” Marlene yawned.

A food coma after such a huge and tasty lunch was imminent, shady oak tree offering protection from the warm, bright, sun. That fluffy red blanket their little family sat on looked more and more comfortable with each passing minute.

“What’s up, kiddo?” He yawned, too, before nibbling more of his cake slice.

“Are you and Tifa gonna get married soon? Daddy told me on the phone the other day, ‘I’m gettin’ impatient waitin’ for them to get their act together!’, you know?”

Tifa, Cloud, and Denzel all laughed at Marlene’s excellent approximation of her father. Uncannily spot-on.

“I think so.”, Tifa offered a lopsided smile, shielding her eyes with a hand to glance upwards at the rustling leaves. That slight breeze felt wonderful. They really couldn’t have found a better spot in such an honestly sprawling park—around since the days of Midgar—on the outskirts of Edge, Denzel the one to suggest it. Fuzzy memories of swinging on the swings with his parents, excitedly asking them to watch him go down the slide, playing tag with the other children visiting with their own families. Something fond that nobody could ever take away from him.

“Yeah.” Cloud nodded, a hand gently capturing Tifa’s wrist. “It’ll be a small ceremony at the church. All our friends will be there.” And she would be there (certainly Zack, as well), in spirit. Aerith would’ve been honestly honored that they’d hold it at ‘her’ church.

“...Do I have to wear a suit?” Denzel scrunched up his face, noticing how Marlene, with eyes heavy, had curled up into Tifa’s lap. The barmaid gently ran her fingers through the little girl’s soft hair. She snored lightly in Tifa’s embrace.

“Only if you want to.”, Tifa chuckled.

Denzel let out a breath, taking another bite of his cake. _ Good. _

Shyly, unable to meet Cloud’s eyes, the young boy slowly offered, “I’m happy my hero’s back home now.”

Affectionately, Cloud ruffled his officially-adopted son’s hair, Denzel squirming in sudden protest...but he didn’t seem to otherwise mind the sudden attention.

“Marlene wants me and Barret to hang out with her sometime.”, his back against the large tree, Cloud nodded towards the peacefully sleeping girl. “Maybe a day at the movies or the zoo?” 

The blond was honestly flattered how Marlene, little by little, considered him a second dad. The joint-custody situation between himself and Barret was a little messy, but it’d work out, with time and _ plenty _of paperwork!

“Hey, Denzel!”, Tifa was all grins. “What should you and I do for fun that day? It might be as soon as next weekend, you know.”

“A-actually...” He blushed a little at his maybe-silly suggestion. Would he be teased for it? Spending time with Tifa was important, too. She’d already done so much for him. “I’d like to learn baking? You’re so skilled.” He laughed, “Something we can make _ together_, like cookies or cake?”

“I dunno.”, Tifa began teasing for different reasons than feared, “Cloud has a _ bad _sweet tooth.”

“Cloud...you can’t sneak off to eat them all by yourself. Okay?”

The three were alerted to Marlene’s sleepy protests. “Yeah, yeah.”, he laughed, patting the young girl’s shoulder.

A moment of peaceful silence passed between the family. Just the occasional muffled voices of other families and children playing in the park, birds happily singing in the trees, and that comfortable breeze in the air.

The young boy noticed Cloud, who’d also gone quiet, seemingly lurch forward with heavy eyelids. After suddenly jolting awake and sitting upright, Tifa held back silent laughter, spare hand lightly brushing Cloud’s back. Denzel tried not to start snickering, noticing Cloud’s faintly red cheeks when Tifa laughed at him.

A peaceful nap, on this beautiful Planet his family helped save, sounded kind of nice.


End file.
